Systems and methods for manipulating light from ambient light sources

Abstract

An optical device includes variable optical material that alters at least one of: incident ambient light, spectral content of incident ambient light or direction of incident ambient light through the optical device in response to a stimulus provided by the device. The device can sense intensity and/or spectral characteristics of ambient light and provide appropriate stimulus to various portions of the optical device to activate the variable optical material and alter at least one of: incident ambient light, spectral content of incident ambient light or direction of incident ambient light.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A display device comprising:
 a frame configured to mount on a user;   an augmented reality (AR) display attached to the frame and configured to direct images to an eye of the user while transmitting, to the eye of the user, at least some light from an environment proximal to the AR display, wherein the AR display includes a variable optical material that is embedded in a surface of the AR display, wherein the variable optical material undergoes a physical and/or a chemical change in response to a stimulus, and wherein the variable optical material is distributed unevenly across the AR display such that at least one portion of the AR display includes a higher density of the variable optical material than at least one other portion of the AR display;   at least one sensor configured to obtain information including ambient light conditions in the environment, wherein the obtained information indicates a location, in the environment, of at least one object that is one or more of an ambient light source or a glare producing object, and wherein the obtained information includes one or more wavelengths of the light that is transmitted through the AR display from the at least one object;   a source configured to provide the stimulus; and   processing electronics configured to trigger the source to provide the stimulus to the variable optical material to effect a physical and/or a chemical change in the variable optical material included in the AR display such that at least one of an intensity of ambient light, a spectral content of the ambient light, or a direction of the ambient light is selectively changed at one or more first portions of the AR display differently than one or more second portions of the AR display that are different from the one or more first portions, wherein the one or more first portions of the AR display correspond to the location of the at least one object in the environment that is the one or more of the ambient light source or the glare producing object, and wherein the stimulus causes the change in the variable optical material in the one or more first portions to reduce the intensity of the ambient light selectively in the one or more wavelengths of the light from the at least one object.   
     
     
         2 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are further configured to determine a position of the user, and wherein the stimulus to the variable optical material is provided to effect the physical and/or the chemical change in the material based on the position of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is further configured to vary the stimulus based on the time of day. 
     
     
         4 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the AR display comprises at least one waveguide configured to:
 allow a view of the environment through the at least one waveguide; and   form images by directing light out of the at least one waveguide and into the eye of the user.   
     
     
         5 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a light sensor, a global positioning sub-system, or an environmental sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the source comprises one or more of an optical source, an electrical source, a thermal source, a sonic source, or an ultrasonic source. 
     
     
         7 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the variable optical material comprises one or more of: organic or inorganic compounds, electroactive proteins, molecules that exhibit a change is size or shape in response to the stimulus, molecules that move, rotate, twist or shift in response to the stimulus, molecules that move together and/or adhere together in response to the stimulus, molecules that move away from each other in response to the stimulus, or molecules that form nanostructures in response to the stimulus. 
     
     
         8 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more first portions of the AR display comprise a first ocular region corresponding to a first eye of the user and the one or more second portions of the AR display comprise a second ocular region corresponding to a second eye of the user,
 wherein the processing electronics are configured to trigger the source to provide the stimulus to effect the physical and/or the chemical change in the material such that at least one of the intensity of the ambient light, the spectral content of the ambient light or the direction of the ambient light through the first ocular region is changed differently as compared to the intensity of the ambient light, the spectral content of the ambient light or the direction of the ambient light through the second ocular region.   
     
     
         9 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are configured to trigger the source to provide the stimulus to effect the physical and/or the chemical change in the material such that attenuation of intensity of ambient light transmitted through at least one first portion of the display is greater than attenuation of intensity of ambient light transmitted through at least one second portion of the display. 
     
     
         10 . The display device of  claim 1 , further comprising a head pose sensor, wherein the processing electronics are further configured to trigger the source to provide the stimulus to the variable optical material based on at least one of a movement or a position of a head of the user as determined by the head pose sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are further configured to adjust the one or more first portions of the AR display to which the stimulus is applied based on feedback from the user. 
     
     
         12 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are further configured to adjust a size of a region of the AR display to which the stimulus is applied based on feedback from the user. 
     
     
         13 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are further configured to adjust an amount by which at least one of an intensity of ambient light, a spectral content of ambient light, or a direction of ambient light is changed based on feedback from the user. 
     
     
         14 . The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one portion of the AR display corresponds to at least one ocular region that includes the higher density of the variable optical material than the at least one other portion of the AR display that corresponds to at least one non-ocular region. 
     
     
         15 . The display device of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one other portion of the AR display that corresponds to the at least one non-ocular region is devoid of the variable optical material. 
     
     
         16 . A method of manipulating light transmitted through a user-wearable display device that includes an augmented reality (AR) display configured to direct images to an eye of a user while transmitting, to the eye of the user, at least some light from an environment proximal to the AR display, the method comprising:
 using at least one sensor, obtaining information including ambient light conditions in the environment, wherein the obtained information indicates a location, in the environment, of at least one object that is one or more of an ambient light source or a glare producing object, and wherein the obtained information includes one or more wavelengths of the light that is transmitted through the AR display from the at least one object; and   controlling a source to provide a stimulus to a variable optical material that is embedded in a surface of the AR display, wherein the variable optical material is distributed unevenly across the AR display such that at least one portion of the AR display includes a higher density of the variable optical material than at least one other portion of the AR display, wherein the variable optical material undergoes a physical and/or a chemical change in response to the stimulus such that at least one of an intensity of ambient light, a spectral content of the ambient light, or a direction of the ambient light is selectively changed at one or more first portions of the AR display differently than one or more second portions of the AR display that are different from the one or more first portions, wherein the one or more first portions of the AR display correspond to the location of the at least one object in the environment that is the one or more of the ambient light source or the glare producing object, and wherein the stimulus causes the change in the variable optical material in the one or more first portions to reduce the intensity of the ambient light selectively in the one or more wavelengths of the light from the at least one object.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the source is controlled to provide the stimulus to effect the physical and/or the chemical change in the material such that attenuation of intensity of ambient light transmitted through at least one first portion of the display is greater than attenuation of intensity of ambient light transmitted through at least one second portion of the display. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the source is controlled to provide the stimulus to the variable optical material based on at least one of a movement or a position of a head of the user as determined by a head pose sensor of the user-wearable display device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising adjusting the one or more first portions of the AR display to which the stimulus is applied based on feedback from the user. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising adjusting an amount by which at least one of an intensity of ambient light, a spectral content of ambient light, or a direction of ambient light is changed based on feedback from the user.